


In the Spirit of the Holiday

by StarryNox



Series: Chrobin Week 2017 [3]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Halloween Shenanigans, belated entry for chrobin week day 3, lissa is most definitely scheming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-22 12:26:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12481548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarryNox/pseuds/StarryNox
Summary: “Well, Lissa and I were thinking that we, well, I’ve kept you busy with tactics ever since we found you.”“I told you that I don’t mind.” Chrom chuckles at her interruption, holding up a hand as if to say that he knows—and she can’t help but think that it’s strange, how easy it has become to interpret his gestures.“I know, but hear me out. It’s the first time we’ve happened to be at a village right around the time of a major holiday, and one night of celebration isn’t going to put us back too far in terms of our schedule. So, why not give everyone the night off? It’ll be a chance for you to participate in Ylissean tradition, too.” Well, when he puts it like that, it’s awfully hard to say no, especially when combined with the pleading, almost boyish expression upon his face.Day 3: Halloween





	In the Spirit of the Holiday

"Hal-low-ween?" she says slowly, rolling the unfamiliar word over her tongue. She files it away under words that she probably ought to know, and perhaps once did, but are now wholly unfamiliar because they refer to something cultural, rather than factual. Lissa nods enthusiastically, her pigtails bobbing with each one. 

“Yup! It’s a festival we throw at the end of October here in Ylisse.” 

“And…?”

“Well, Lissa and I were thinking that we, well, I’ve kept you busy with tactics ever since we found you.”

“I told you that I don’t mind.” Chrom chuckles at her interruption, holding up a hand as if to say that he knows—and she can’t help but think that it’s strange, how easy it has become to interpret his gestures.

“I know, but hear me out. It’s the first time we’ve happened to be at a village right around the time of a major holiday, and one night of celebration isn’t going to put us back too far in terms of our schedule. So, why not give everyone the night off? It’ll be a chance for you to participate in Ylissean tradition, too.” Well, when he puts it like that, it’s awfully hard to say no, especially when combined with the pleading, almost boyish expression upon his face. Ruya sighs.

“I guess there’s no harm in it.” Lissa cheers, and she narrows her gaze onto the princess, who smiles innocently. But if there’s one thing Ruya’s learned since joining the Shepherds, it’s not to trust Lissa’s angelic smiles. “Well, what is it?”

“Aww, Robin, don’t be like that!” Lissa pouts. “We just prepared you a costume, that’s all!” Now even Chrom looks surprised, and Robin has to stifle a laugh.

“We did?” 

“Okay, well, I did. I knew you were going to forget, so I picked one for you, too! It won’t be bad, I promise!” 

“What’s the costume for, anyway?” 

“Well…it’s admittedly more of a thing for kids,” Chrom begins with a little laugh. “But the idea is that you dress up in costume—supposedly it’s to confuse anyone who wants to do you harm, but nowadays people just do it for fun. Sometimes adults will give treats to kids in costume, too.” He pauses. “Er, not that you’re a kid, of course, but since you’ve never experienced this before…it could be fun.” 

“Okay. But only if I get treats, too,” Ruya teases, causing both siblings to laugh. 

“I’m sure we can arrange something,” Chrom promises. “You’re going to participate, then?”

“As you said, it’ll be a new experience,” Ruya replies with a small smile. “As long as there aren’t any frogs in my costume, I suppose I don’t mind.” She gives Lissa a pointed look, only to receive a sheepish grin in return.

“Aw, Robin, that was one time,” Lissa whines. “But I promise, no frogs—or anything else, for that matter. But if you really want, I guess Maribelle could help you with your costume instead…” Ruya shook her head. 

“No, I trust you…this time.” Lissa bounces forward, linking their arms and beginning to tug Ruya towards her tent almost as soon as the words have left her mouth. 

“Great! Okay, Chrom, I left your costume in your tent. You can probably figure it out once you see it. Meet us back here in an hour, okay?” And with that, she drags Ruya away, leaving an amused prince in their wake.

 

“Ta-da!” Lissa presents her with a flourish, but Ruya only shifts uncomfortably in the unfamiliar garments. Really, everything about this costume is unfamiliar to her—the dress is long and feels awfully ornate, even if much of it is just embroidery, and the sleeves are wide enough that they nearly brush against the ground when she has her hands at her sides. Her hair is down, and frankly, she finds it a little annoying, even though Lissa insists that she keep it for accuracy’s sake. Her signature coat is gone, too, replaced with a cloak far lighter in weight, and she can’t quite shake the feeling of wrongness that comes along with it. Oh well—at least she has the familiar weight of a tome at her side. Apparently, the historical (mythological? Lissa hadn’t been very clear) figure she’s dressed as carried one too, but with Risen crawling around Ylisse’s countryside, she supposes they can’t be too careful. “Well, what do you think?” Lissa nudges Chrom, a grin that Ruya most definitely does not like spread wide across her face. Chrom, for his part, turns a rather interesting shade of pink.

“You look…” His face flushes further, and Ruya has half a mind to step closer and check for a fever when he finishes his sentence in a rush that she can barely decipher. “Amazing. Really beautiful.” But then he’s scowling at Lissa, and Ruya wonders if she just heard him wrong. “Anyway, I guess we’ll, uh, get going then?” He offers her his arm, but he’s so stiff that she wonders if they should be going to the village at all. 

“Oh, he’ll be fine. Don’t worry!” Lissa pushes Ruya towards Chrom, her grin still in full force. “Go on, don’t make all my hard work getting these costumes together go to waste!” So Ruya takes his arm, realizing only then that he’s wearing two sleeves—a good look for him, yes, but one she can’t quite wrap her head around—and offers him a sympathetic smile. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m not used to this type of clothing, either. It’s just for a few hours, right?” His response is a blank stare. 

“A few hours, right,” he says after a while, clearing his throat. “It’s just…I’m sorry about her.” He nods his head in the direction from which they came, and Ruya assumes that Lissa’s out of earshot based on the lack of an indignant response from the blonde. 

“Why?” 

“How much do you know about Deirdre and Sigurd?” 

“Nothing, really. Though Lissa says I kind of look like Deirdre—aside from our skin color, anyway. And that she was a mage of some kind. She was kind of unclear as to whether she was a real person or not, though.”

“They’re some of those figures who lived so long ago that it’s hard to distinguish between myth and history,” Chrom replies. “But, uh…” He’s turned red again, and this time Ruya does stop. 

“Are you okay? If you’re not feeling well, you can go back. I don’t mind.” 

“No! I mean, I’m fine. Just…embarrassed.” 

“To be in costume?”

“No, it’s just…” He clears his throat again. “Sigurd and Deirdre were…they were lovers.” She’s fairly certain that his complexion has invented a new shade of red, he’s blushing so hard, and it takes a moment for the meaning of the words to fully register in her mind.

“Oh.” It’s hard for her not to be a little embarrassed, too, knowing that there are those who have begun to speculate about the nature of her and Chrom’s relationship. She’s always thought it ridiculous—he’s her general and her friend, and no, doing tactics is not a euphemism for sordid activities—but some of the less blunt insinuations float to the forefront of her mind, and she finds her own cheeks beginning to grow hot in response. Those are definitely thoughts she does not need right now. Chrom laughs, though the sound is somewhat strained. 

“I promise I had no hand in this—er, not that being, well, with you is repulsive, but—“ He presses his lips together and shakes his head. “I’m going to stop there before I say something I regret.” 

“A wise choice,” she teases, remembering the last time he tried to backtrack mid-sentence so as not to offend. “In the meanwhile, let’s just…not worry about what others might think.” Oh, she’s sure they’ll get a few teasing remarks later on, but what’s a few more? “Like I said—it’s just for a few hours. We may as well have fun with this, right?” Chrom offers her a crooked grin in response, and she carefully ignores the thought that it—and the costume—do him many favors. 

“Right.”


End file.
